


a far better fate than wisdom

by damnmydooah



Category: Elementary (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Kisses, Kissing, honestly just a bunch of kisses, that is all that happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 22:51:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5433773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damnmydooah/pseuds/damnmydooah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kisses are 5 cents, and Sherlock has a dollar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a far better fate than wisdom

“Watson.” Carefully, Sherlock puts down a perfectly smoothed out one dollar bill. Joan stares at it.

“I don’t have change for that. And anyway, I’m done.” She gestures to the large sign that leans against the stairs. As per the agreement, she had walked around the precinct with it, collecting change and doling out nothing but the most chaste of cheek kisses. And then, Sherlock had made her walk home with it. He accompanied her, of course, but she had still been fairly furious. Unfortunately, Sherlock’s terms had been ironclad and there was nothing to be done. Most men who reacted had thankfully been courteous and those who hadn’t were discouraged by her death glare, or failing that, Sherlock stepping up with his chest puffed out. She would have laughed at his display of male bravado if she hadn’t been so mad at him.

“The agreement was for six hours. By my watch” - here he glances at his empty wrist - “there are still five minutes left. And I don’t want change: I would like a dollar’s worth.”

Joan’s head snaps up. Sherlock won’t quite meet her eyes, and she’s not sure what to make of that. “You want twenty kisses?” The idea is... not entirely unappealing? 

“Yes, please.” Sherlock seems to have gathered his courage and is now looking her in the eye. But she reads the tension in his shoulders, in the way he locks his knees.

“Do- do you just want ten kisses on each cheek? I mean I could...” She trails off, not sure what she could. What is she suggesting, exactly?

“I will leave the location of the... salutations... to your discretion. If you would like to kiss me somewhere other than my cheek, I will not protest.” He is now staring at a point just past her shoulder, his courage having apparently left him again. 

Joan puts her book aside, takes off her reading glasses. “Okay, well... rules are rules I guess. Um, shall I just...?” She gestures between them. 

“I think it best if you initiate the action, yes. I will simply be the... receiver.”

“Alright.” Joan walks up to him until they are toe to toe. Standing on tiptoe, she kisses his right cheek. There is stubble, and the smell of his inoffensive cologne. Sherlock carefully breathes out. She moves back, and switches over to his left cheek. Catching herself off balance, she steadies with a hand on his chest. His heart beats rapidly under her palm. She looks at it. “Sherlock?”

“Yes Watson?”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes Watson.”

She looks at him still not quite looking at her. Thinks. 

“Somewhere other than your cheek?”

He nods ever so slightly. “I will not protest.”

For symmetry’s sake, Joan kisses his left cheek first. Then, she kisses his nose. Lifts herself a little higher on her toes to reach his temple (she finds the extra purchase by clutching his shirt). Back down again for his jaw close to his ear. A feathery touch of her lips to his earlobe. Another one further down his jaw. His chin. Two more up the other side of his jaw. “Halfway there,” she says softly. “Any requests?”

Sherlock shakes his head. “No. Hm.” He clears his throat. “No. You’re doing a perfectly, erm... perfectly good, adequate job. Continue.”

She considers him for a moment. There are only so many places on a person’s face. Lowering herself so her feet are flat on the floor, she reaches for one of his hands. It lies relaxed in hers, warm and dry. She slowly kisses the knuckles of each of his four fingers without looking up. She drops his hand back by his side and reaches for the other. This time, his fingers curl around hers. When she looks up, he is finally meeting her eye. She turns his hand over, kisses the pad of his index finger. He blinks slowly. She touches her lips to the pads of his middle, ring, and pinky fingers. She drops his hand, leans in bodily and presses a long, lingering kiss against his throat. His pulse butterflies against her lips. She feels his hand hovering at her hip, barely touching. He breathes out a slow, unsteady breath.

“Last one,” she breathes. “Sure you don’t have any requests?”

“Actually Watson...” Sherlock angles his head down until there is but a hair’s breadth between their lips. “...I think I might.”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this: https://twitter.com/LucyLiu/status/434470027605979136
> 
> Title from e.e. cummings' "since feeling is first"


End file.
